Councillor Ross Houston declared a
non-pecuniary interest in agenda item 7: Implementation of new
enforcement powers as alternatives to prosecutions under the
Housing Act 2004, as he is a Member of the Barnet Group Board.

The Leader noted that those members of the
committee who are school governors had a non-pecuniary interest in
agenda item 10: Business Planning. It was also noted that all
Members of the Committee had a non-pecuniary interest in agenda
item 12: Indemnities for Councillors, Officers and Other
Independent Committee Members.

On the recommendations in the report being put
to the vote the recommendations were unanimously agreed.

RESOLVED –
That the Committee

1.Approvethe
additions to the Regulatory Enforcement Policy detailed at Appendix
1 and 2 to include information relating to civil penalties
forrelevant offences under
the Housing Act 2004 as amended by the Housing and Planning Act
2016 , Rent Repayment Orders, Banning
Orders, and the Rogue Landlords data base.

2.Approvethe Statement of Principles to determine the
amount of the penalty charge under the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide
(England) Regulations 2015 detailed at Appendix 4.

3.Approvethe method for determining the civil penalties as
set out in Appendix 1,2 and
4.

4.Approve the authority to
delegate all powers to develop, implement and further minor
amendments to the Council’s detailed Policy and Procedure in
respect of the imposition of civil penalties to the Service
Director – Regulatory Services in consultation with Chairman
of the Housing Committee. Such policy to be in accordance with
Schedule 13A of the Housing Act 2004 where appropriate, and any
other guidance issued by the Secretary of State.

5.Authorise The Service
Director – Regulatory Services to delegate the discharge of
powers above to other Council officers.

On the recommendations in the report being put
to the vote the recommendations were unanimously agreed.

RESOLVED –

1.That the Policy and Resources Committee
authorise commencement of procurement
activities for refurbishment and regeneration works at Hendon
Cemetery and Crematorium (HCC) to allow procurement to start within
2017/18.

2.That the
Policy and Resources Committee delegate authority to the Strategic
Director of Environment in consultation with the Chair of the
Policy and Resources Committee to accept the most economically
advantageous tender and to enter into a contract for the execution
of the refurbishment and regeneration works at HCC.

3.That the Policy and Resources Committee
approve the addition of £440,000 in 2018/19 to the
Refurbishment and regeneration of Hendon cemetery and crematorium
scheme funding by RE as set out in paragraph 5.2.2.

Officers noted that recommendation 2 of the
report required the insertion of the words ‘where
eligible’ after the word ‘relief’ for
clarity. This proposed amendment was duly agreed by the
Committee.

On the recommendations in the report, as
amended, being put to the vote the recommendations were unanimously
agreed.

RESOLVED –

1.That the report is noted.

2.That, except in the case of properties
for which the Healthier Catering Commitment may apply, the
Committee instruct the business rates team to automatically award
the relief where eligible, without the need for an
application.

The Committee considered the report and
amended Appendix A as published.

Officers sought agreement of the Committee for
a new recommendation to be added following recommendation 4 as
follows:

‘Agrees to consult
on allocating additional savings targets to Theme Committees in
2019/20 as per paragraph 1.7.6’.

This was duly agreed by the Committee.

A separate vote was taken on recommendation 5
in the report: ‘Agrees

that the savings proposals as set out in
appendix B, subject to consultation and equalities impact
assessment, come back to Policy and Resources Committee in February
2018 and Full Council for final approval of the 2018/19 budget in
March 2018’.

On recommendation 5 being put to the vote, the
votes were declared as follows:

For

7

Against

5

Abstain

0

Absent

0

A separate vote was taken on recommendation 6
in the report: ‘Agrees the changes to the existing Capital
Programme as set out in section 1.9 and appendix C and
D’.

On recommendation 6 being put to the vote, the
votes were declared as follows:

For

7

Against

0

Abstain

5

Absent

0

The remaining recommendations in the report,
including the additional recommendation following recommendation 4,
were then put to the vote and were unanimously agreed.

RESOLVED - That the
Committee:

1.Notes the updated Medium Term Financial
Strategy (MTFS) to 2020 as set out at appendix A and the
assumptions underpinning this in section 1.5;

2.Agrees, subject to consultation and
consideration of an equalities impact assessment, to apply a 3%
Social Care Precept, to help fund care for the elderly as set out
in section 1.5.11 in
2018/19;

3.Agrees to consult on the use of the
Council’s flexibility to change the level of General Council
Tax in 2018/19;

4.Agrees to consult on deleting and
/ or reducing schemes from the 2018/19 Capital Programme as set out
in section 1.7;

5.Agreesto consult
on allocating additional savings targets to Theme Committees in
2019/20 as per paragraph 1.7.6;

6.Agrees that the savings proposals as set
out in appendix B, subject to consultation and equalities impact
assessment, come back to Policy and Resources Committee in February
2018 and Full Council for final approval of the 2018/19 budget in
March 2018;

7.Agrees the changes to the existing
Capital Programme as set out in section 1.9 and appendix C and
D;

8.Delegates in year capital financing
substitution decisions to the Section 151 officer as set out in
paragraph 1.9.11;

9.Recommends to Full Council joining the
London wide Business Rates Pool as set out in paragraphs 1.3.1 to
1.3.9.

10.Recommends that Council delegates responsibility to the Deputy
Chief Executive in consultation with the Chairman of Policy and
Resources Committee to agree the final deal as presented by London
Councils in the form of the Memorandum of Understanding as set out
in paragraph 1.3.7;

11.Agrees to delegate decisions to be taken in relation to the
London wide Business Rates Pool’s Strategic Investment Pot to
the Deputy Chief Executive in consultation ...
view the full minutes text for item 10.

Following discussion the Committee agreed to
amend recommendation 2 in the report to delete the word
‘senior’. The Committee also unanimously agreed to
amend recommendation 6 to delete all text after the first
sentence.

The Committee
discussed the process for dealing with an application for an
indemnity as outlined in section 4.1 of the report. It was agreed
that the initial part of the process be that any
application for an indemnity received from a Member or officer
should be made to the Head of Governance who will liaise with the
Head of Insurance and other relevant officers. However, the
Committee disagreed with the proposed decision authority as set out
in the second part of section 4.1, that ‘The Head of
Governance will report his/her findings and recommendations to the
Assistant Chief Executive, s151 officer and Leader of the
Council’. Following consideration the Committee
unanimously agreed to add a new recommendation to replace this
decision authority, as follows:

‘Any decision on an application for an
indemnity will be delegated to the Chief Executive in consultation
with the Leader, with the exception of if either of the above are
the subject of the application in which case the decision will be
delegated to the Monitoring Officer in consultation with the Deputy
Leader, and the decision reported to the Policy and Resources
Committee’.

On the recommendations in the report as
amended, including the additional recommendation being put to the
vote the recommendations were unanimously agreed.

RESOLVED –
That

The Committee agrees that the Council should
provide indemnities in respect of financial liabilities arising for
Councillors and otherco-opted members, independent panel and board members (Other
Members) as follows:

1.Councillors acting in good faith and as
a Member of the Council in respect of acts or defaults covered by
the Local Authorities (Indemnities form Members and Officers) Order
2004 (‘the Order’).

2.Councillors and officers acting in good
faith, working outside the Council as an authorised representative
of the Council for acts or defaults covered by the
Order.

3.Officers’ liabilities and legal
costs in defending a claim against them for acting in good faith
but outside the powers of the Council will be indemnified in
appropriate circumstances which will be considered on a case by
case basis should the liability arise.

4.Other members acting in good faith
outside the powers of the Council for all acts or defaults covered
by the Order.

The Committee agrees that all indemnities
are subject to the following provisions:

5.The indemnity will apply retrospectively
to any act or failure to act which may have occurred before the
date the indemnity was approved and shall continue to apply after
the councillor, officer or other member has ceased to be a
councillor, officer or other member of the Council as well as
during his/her membership of or employment by the
Council.